Modafinil

1 medicine

Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting medicine for narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work sleep disorder; it can rarely cause a severe skin reaction and it lowers the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives, so you need a backup birth control method while taking it.

Provigil

Modafinil

100/200mg

Provigil is a neurology medication containing Modafinil, available as 100/200mg tablets.

from $0.64 / tablet View

Key facts

  • Modafinil (sold as Provigil) is a wakefulness-promoting medicine prescribed for excessive daytime sleepiness from narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift-work sleep disorder.
  • You take it once daily, usually in the morning, or before your shift if you work nights; the effect builds over about an hour and lasts most of the day.
  • Its single most important safety fact: modafinil can rarely cause a severe skin reaction, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and it makes hormonal contraceptives less effective, so use an additional non-hormonal method during treatment and for a month after stopping.
  • Seek urgent care for any new rash, blistering, or mouth sores, or for chest pain or an irregular heartbeat.

What Modafinil treats

Modafinil treats narcolepsy, with or without cataplexy, and the excessive sleepiness that continues in obstructive sleep apnea despite CPAP therapy. It is also used for shift-work sleep disorder, the sleepiness and impaired alertness that come from working overnight hours. It is not a treatment for ordinary tiredness and does not replace sleep.

How Modafinil works

The exact mechanism is not fully established, but modafinil raises dopamine activity in the brain by blocking its reuptake, and it alters activity in brain regions that control wakefulness, including the hypothalamus. This produces alertness without the sharp stimulant surge and crash typical of amphetamine-type drugs.

Before you take it

  • Do not take modafinil if you have had an allergic or serious skin reaction to it previously.
  • Tell your prescriber about uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, angina, or a history of psychosis or mania, since modafinil can raise blood pressure and heart rate.
  • If you use a hormonal contraceptive, plan for an additional or alternative method. Modafinil speeds up the liver enzymes that break down contraceptive hormones.
  • Modafinil can interact with other stimulants, MAOIs, and some antiepileptic and antidepressant medicines. Tell your prescriber about everything you take.

Side effects

Common effects include headache, nausea, dry mouth, trouble sleeping if taken late in the day, and nervousness.

Stop and seek urgent medical care for any of these:

  • Any new or spreading rash, blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth.
  • Swelling of the face, lips, or throat, or trouble breathing.
  • Chest pain, a fast or irregular heartbeat, or fainting.
  • New depression, agitation, or thoughts of self-harm.

Safety essentials

  • Severe skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and DRESS, are rare but can be life-threatening. Stop modafinil and get medical help immediately at the first sign of a rash.
  • Modafinil reduces the reliability of hormonal contraception. Use a barrier or non-hormonal method while taking it and for about a month afterward.
  • Avoid alcohol and be careful with driving or operating machinery until you know how modafinil affects you, particularly if your sleep is still disrupted.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.